AIBU unreasonable to feel upset about this .......

I think it’s quite normal to poke light hearted fun at people as a way of normalising it.

My mum also has MH issues and my siblings way of dealing with it is to make a joke to each other about it.

You know you are acting irrationally and instead of him going on that you are mad and explaining how that item is not going to do any good etc. he has let you carry on knowing that it puts your mind at rest but as he also knows it’s not ‘normal’ then he’s dealing with it in a light hearted way.

I think the bigger red flag here is you going through his phone and reading his private messages between him and his children.

OP if you were in my country you would be fully expected to be prepared, to help yourself and others. I would not have bought the food you did, but there are other things you can do. It’s not just about a war. There could easily be cyber attacks.

I find it odd that the UK government don’t expect more of you or just leave you to it.
You all seem to joke about it.

OP there is a very good list in this brochure, which has been sent to all households.

rib.msb.se/filer/pdf/30874.pdf

Yea nah, I wouldn't like that at all. It's not nice, taking pictures and calling you an arse behind your back. At all.

I'd also look at his phone if I'd see a pic of my cupboard pop up, especially since you don't live together and it's your home. I wouldn't even consider it snooping, tbh. If someone's taking secret pics of the insides of my cupboards, I'd feel I have every right to know why, what's the reason.

Also I don't think you're mad or batshit for buying those meals. Yea, a bit extra maybe, but so what. It's not hurting anyone.

I have a different outlook to prepping, as I'm from a country bordering russia. No one would laugh at you there, if you'd buy extra food or supplies. Yes I know, it's a different situation in the UK, but still, I don't see a big deal in buying supplies and I think it's smart to be prepared.

I've always been a bit of a prepper, just don't call myself that. Not for any nuclear disaster or suchlike, but I'm a single parent, no one to help, one wage. So I like to keep cupboards, fridge, freezer, pantry full, medicine cabinet stocked, all the loo rolls, washing liquids, etc stocked up. Stuff like that. I guess I just feel safer this way, in case - say - I get ill and won't be able to shop/go out, or some financial misfortune strikes and I won't have money for a while, things like that.

OP…I grew up in Switzerland where virtually every private house, to this day, has a nuclear bunker. I’m not sure if it is still mandatory for recent newbuilds, but for me having one is less odd than a house NOT having one 😀. I think the same applies for Finland. And maybe even Norway?

It was, and for many still is, completely normal - indeed expected - to always have a couple of months worth of survival rations of non perishable foods such as rice, pasta, tinned food, oil, that sort of thing. Personally, I think its a great idea even for non-atomic disasters such as a bunch of unexpected guests turning up!

So, in no way are you “weird”. Unless one deems the entire nation of Finland and Switzerland weird. What isweird, however, is that your so called closest person is making dismissive, disrespectful remarks to his kids behind your back about it. The ONLY thing I’d say in his defense….written, hasty, short communication is often VERY poor at conveying intent. Something intented as lightheartedly funny can easily come across as biting sarcasm or judging condemnation.Thus, he may well not have meant it the way you perceived it. You know the man, we don’t - is he prone to make hurtful remarks behind others backs?

So OP has vacuum packed meals just in case. Plenty of peeps on MN said they were stocking up prior to lock down and since. waitting for all out rioting in the streets, looting and zombies taking over. Then there was the millennium bug that everyone panicked over. Short memories folks!😄
This is a different scenario but why pick on OP? She's obviously worried. Stop bullying her bacause this is all some of the stupid comments amount to.

I'm torn.

I could see myself taking a photo of something quirky DH had done and sharing it with family but I know it would land in the way I meant it; with great affection - they are all mad about him.

However when a life threatening illness was ravaging me I caught my DSD filming me and I knew without a shadow of a doubt it was being sent for her family's amusement. I was gutted.

It's hard to know which side this one is falling on without more context of the relationships between everybody.

Yeh. What’s a “whopper” in this context? Here in London it means very big

I do something similar to OP, I live slightly rural and I’m always worried about bad weather snow and ice et cetera so I have a bit of a stash of things.
The Christmas before Covid hit and I honestly do not understand where I read this but I did, I read about bird flu heading towards the UK, I know it was before Christmas because I decided that after Christmas I would have more room in my freezer and could start stocking up (I’d watched a TV drama called survivors where the birds spread a deadly disease around the worldmany years before and it frighten the shit out of me).
I told no one about this, not even my DH
By the time we got to February DH sort of got wind what I was doing, probably something to do with the 96 toilet rolls in the under stairs cupboard, he thought I was absolutely bonkers.

DH has a life limiting illness and by the time Covid hit we were in a situation where I think we could safely shut the front door for pretty much six weeks and not worried about anything. I even read how the Americans freeze eggs and did that too. in the end, DH was exceedingly grateful for my planning.

I don’t like people who make jokes behind my back your DP was very insensitive

Personally, my motto is being prepared, I bet if something happened he’d be jolly happy to pop round and share one of those meals if needed 💐

I would dump for this. He isn't have a tease with you, he is laughing at you behind your back. He has taken a photo of something in your home in order to have a pop at you with his daughter. Mean and nasty.

The 'you don't know the half of it' suggests to his daughter that he is having to put up with all sorts from you. Again this is nasty. Even if he feels it is true! He can walk away. He is not some hero for putting up with you but that is what he is suggesting, probably to be 'in' with his daughter.

Mean and nasty all of it.

Put it this way, I didn't need to panic about bog rolls in 2020.

I sprout my own beans, peas and seeds and grow a fair bit of stuff here in the soil too. If I couldn't walk off this place for four months, I would be fine. Thinner but fine.

You do you OP.

Oh, I know that. We'll all be toast soon enough. I think it's more the breakdown in systems that some people prep for, like having torches and candles in case of a power cut. Just think of the supermarkets during Covid or the chaos when water supplies are cut off. I think that's more the mindset.
We all watched 'Threads' in the 1980s. Terrifying scenario.

I think it's sensible to have stuff like this. I have lots of stored food, water, paraffin, candles, matches, medication, fuel for both vehicles and fuel to keep me warm. I just use it from the bottom and top it up at the top so I have a stash of stuff but nothing gets old.

My Dad did the same. There are a lot more situations that this makes sense for than those for which it does not. That is all I care about.

I

@Sharptonguedwoman what's funny is some people's lack of critical thinking and inability to research the effects of a nuclear war and therefore be fooled into parting with hard-earned cash.

Anyone who's read the most basic information would tell you that vacuum packed food would be the very least of anyone's worries if an actual nuclear war happened.

Yeah I would be upset. A healthy relationship should be respectful.

Oh girl, get rid. Life's too short for people to be so rude about you.

'Banter'. Excuse for nastiness often enough, or bullying.

No. It means the OP hasn't got a clue what else he's saying

But they did it to your face!

I don't understand why people can't see the difference

Yes, absolutely this.

Why? people feel differently about the future. Some people like a well stocked store cupboard and this pretty similar. Don't understand why it's funny/odd. Also, I'd want to know what else he's laughing at.